Gades turn back league-leading Huntsville 5-2

You could say the Richmond Renegades were dressed to kill.

Wearing garish green-and-red jerseys and green socks — a sartorial salute to Christmas — the Renegades stung the league-leading Huntsville Havoc 5-2 last night at the Coliseum. The Renegades’ jerseys featured a whimsical touch. The leering pirate on the front of each uniform wore a jaunty Santa Claus hat.

To Huntsville, the Renegades more closely resembled a platoon of grinches. Richmond, playing superb special-teams hockey, surprised the Havoc with first-period power-play goals by Jason Price and Josh Coyle. Those tallies helped Richmond build a 4-0 lead after 48 minutes.

“I harp on [power-play execution] time after time,“ said Renegades coach Brian Goudie. “Lately, our power play has been killing us. Tonight, we went back to basics: Shooting the puck and go ing hard to the net.“

The Renegades were no less successful when confronting Huntsville’s power play, the league’s best. Richmond successfully killed all five of Huntsville’s extra-man opportunities, including a five-minute power play near the midpoint of the third period.

Clay Lewis scored an even-strength goal for the Renegades in the second period, and Trevor Karasiewicz added a five-on-five tally at 7:32 of the third period. Justin Joy’s empty-net goal with 21 seconds remaining restored order after Huntsville pared Richmond’s advantage to 4-2 late in the final period.

Saving grace: Special teams superiority notwithstanding, the Renegades likely would not have won without a splendid performance from goalkeeper Ryan Scott. Huntsville tested Scott 48 times. He responded with 46 saves, several of which were remarkable.

Richmond was not altogether comfortable with a 3-0 lead when, in rapid succession, Scott (3-2-1) smothered John Ronan’s 30-foot blast from the right wing, then foiled Karlis Zirnis twice: first on a wicked 20-foot wrist shot from the left faceoff circle, then on an eight-foot rebound.

Said Goudie: “Every time we put him out there, he gives us a chance to win.“

A partridge in a pear tree: The game drew a crowd of 1,970 — roughly half of what the Renegades typically draw. The turnout included more than a few families with children.

Darrell Taylor drove from Chester with his wife, Amy, and their three children: Cody (11), Dylan (7) and Ryann (4).

Taylor said he and his family decided to attend a hockey game on Christmas Night for two reasons. The first: Renegades defender R.C. Lyke is a neighbor. The second: “I wanted to spend time with my family and do something we could all enjoy, but I wanted to get away from the stay-at-home part” of so many Christmas observances.

Said Jennifer Villiaume, who drove from Ruther Glen with her husband, Lambert, and 3-year-old daughter Savannah: “I’ve stayed at home for just about every Christmas I can remember. I just think if you have a team in your town, a team like [the Renegades], you need to support it — and if that means coming out on Christmas, so be it.“ Then she paused. “Besides — Christmas is pretty much over by noon, anyway.“

Villiaume said she and her husband will likely purchase Renegades season tickets next year. She and her daughter wore Tampa Bay Lightning jerseys to last night’s contest.

UP NEXT: Holiday weekend? Hardly. The Renegades, perched in third place in the SPHL standings, play at second-place Knoxville tonight – an eight-hour one-way bus ride – before returning to the Coliseum on Saturday for a 7:35 p.m. rematch with Huntsville.

Huntsville Richmond

First Period – 1, Richmond, Price 8 (Rollins, McLaughlin), 1:45 (pp). 2, Richmond, Coyle 2 (Halverson, Scott), 18:45 (pp). Penalties – Lush, Hunt (hooking), 1:34; Lewis, Rich (tripping), 4:27; Lush, Hunt (hooking), 17:46.

Second Period – 3, Richmond, Lewis 2 (Busby), 8:40. Penalties – Withers, Rich (holding), 4:10; Hockley, Hunt (high-sticking) 15:25; Busby, Rich (diving), 15:25; Ortiz, Hunt (slashing) 18:09; McLaughlin, Rich (interference), 18:47.

Third Period – 4, Richmond, Karasiewicz 9 (McLaughlin, Withers), 7:32. 5, Huntsville, Kauffeldt 20 Radovich, Ronan), 8:39. 6, Huntsville, Kubaliak 7 (Kirnis, Cooke), 15:08. 7, Richmond, Joy 6 (Needham), 19:39 (eng). Penalties – Oke, Rich (delay), 5:08; Ortiz, Hunt (roughing), 9:57; Lewis, Rich, minor-major-game misconduct (instigating, fighting), 9:57.

Shots on goal — Richmond 10-9-9 — 28. Huntsville 10-20-18 — 48. Power play opportunities — Richmond 2 of 3; Huntsville 0 of 5. Goalies — Huntsville, Cherry 9-4-1 (27 shots-23 saves). Richmond, Scott 3-2-1 (48-46). Referee — Brent Coulombe. A — 1,970.